Vacuum cleaner housing unit



March 6, 1951 w 2,544,405

VACUUM CLEANER HOUSING UNIT Filed Jan. 20, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR GORDON 5. WE/R ATTORNEY arch 6, 1951 Filed Jan. 20, 1948 U G.E. WEIR VACUUM CLEANER HOUSING UNIT lam-an 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Hm H2 55.33

INVENTOR 60/?00 E. l Z E/R ATTORNEY TMarch 6, 1951 R 2,544,405

I VACUUM CLEANER HOUSING UNIT Filed Jan. 20, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 3INVENTOR fin GORDON E. Wf/R Patented Mar. 6, :1951

umrso STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,544,405 VACUUM CLEANER HOUSING UNIT GordonE. Weir, Lakewood, Ohio Application .lanuary 20, 1948, Serial No. 3,261

, My invention relates to a new and novel form of container within whicha vacuum cleaner may be housed both when in use and when stored.

An object of the invention is to so construct the container as to admitof its use (a) as a more or less stationary piece of household furniturewithin which the vacuum cleaner, when not in use, may be stored and (b)as a carrier unit within which the vacuum, when in use, may be housed,and while so housed, maybe .freely moved over and along a surface to bevacuum cleaned.

.A further object of the invention is to provide for the container arunning gear which maybe rendered effective or ineffective asdesired-effective when the vacuum cleaner .is housed therein and in use,and ineffective when housed therein and stored.

,A still further object of the invention is to provide for the containercompartment with n which the vacuum cleaner is housed, a suitable lid orclosure which, by means of mechanism likewise housed within thecontainer, is movable to control the effectiveness and inefiectivenessof the running gear.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter morefully set forth.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters denote like orcorresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views-one of a generally rectangular andthe other of a gen erally cylindrical container, each having the form ofa useful piece of household furnituresuch as a hassock or stool;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the container of Figure 1 with thecontainer lid or cover removed; 'y.

Figure 4315 aperspective view of the lid of'Figure 3--inverted to exposecertain conventional vacuum cleaner accessories or tools which may, forconven ence, and when not inuse, he nested within the lid;

Figure 5 is a plan view'of the container .of Figure ,1 with the lidremoved and the vacuum cleaner,.hose and wiring fittedin place forstorage;

Figure 6 is a section on the line -.B- 6 of Fig ure 5 with the containerlid closed; j

Figures 7 and 8 are plan and side 'elevational views respectively of thevacuum cleaner per se;

Figure 9 is an inverted plan view of the container lid with the vacuumcleaner accessories or tools fitted in place for storage; g I Figure 10is. an enlargedcross section ofqthe container with the lid removed andthe runnin gear extended;

Figure 11 is a detail side elevation of one of the running gearroller-mountings;

Figures 12 and 13 are side and end views respec-' tively of one of thebrackets .on which the vacuum cleaner is adapted to rest both when inuse and when stored;

Figure 14 is a side elevation of a modified type of running gear; and

Figures 15, 16 and 17 are further and detail views of said modified typerunning gear.

Notwithstanding the fact that thousands of owners of vacuum cleanerslive in small homes and apartmentswhere closet space (the usualrepository for an idle vacuum cleaner) is at a premium, it apparentlyhas never heretofore occurred to anyone that a hassock, for instance (anot unconventional piece ofhousehold furniture), if specificallydesigned and constructed, could be made to serve (a) not only its usualfunction as an ornamental seat or footstool, but also (1)) as a freelymovable container within which a vacuum cleaner might be'housed bothduring use and when stored. With such dual function in mind the presentinvention was conceived.

In the drawings two forms of hassock are shown, one generally ofrectangular section (Figure 1) and the other of generally c rcularsection (Figure 2). Except for minor details of construction the twoforms are alike, and the description of the former will suflice forboth.

Referring specifically to Figure l, and to the remaining views of thedrawings in which the details of construction of the embodiment of suchFigure l are illustrated, I0 designates" the body portion of thehassock-e-same being'constructed in the form of a suitable containerhaving a removablelid l2 which, {when closed, provides a hassock top orcover. ,Withthe' lid 12 removed or open, as shown in Figure 3, thecontainer H3 is adapted to removablv receive within its embrace a vacuumcleaner unit M of any conventional type, notwithstanding the fact that asocalled cylinder type is shown. Said vacuum cleaner, both when in useand when not in use, is adapted to be so housed, and when so housed, aswell as when removed-(to empty the dust receptacle), is adapted to 'besupported on suitable "brackets i6 fastened at their upper ends to thevacuum cleaner body and at their opposite ends to the containerbottom-one or the other of said fastenings being made detachable throughany suitable means. The vacuum cleaner, at its oppositeends', isprovided with an air inlet-opening and with an air exit openingrespectively, each said opening being adapted to register or coincidewith an opening [8 formed in each end wall of the container l0. Over orwithin the vacuum cleaner air inlet opening one end of the usualflexible vacuum cleaner hose 20 is adapted to be fitted when in use.Said hose, which is readily detachable when not in use, is adapted to befolded and stored-space within the container, at one side of the vacuumcleaner body being provided for this purpose. Like space on the oppositeside of the vacuum cleaner body is adapted to receive, when stored, theflexible extension cord 22 with which the conventional type vacuumcleaner is generally equipped.

In Figure 4 is illustrated the cover or lid l2 as it appears whenremoved and inverted. Said lid, it will be noted, is provided with endextensions or strips 24, which, when the cover is closed, conform inshape to the shape of cutouts 26 formed in the end wallsof the containerand within which cutouts the extensions respectively engage. If desired,and as a means for holding the lid in place when closed, each saidextension may have formed thereon a lug 28 of a size and shapecorresponding to the size and shape of the openings l8 within which theyare adapted to respectively engage. Moreover, as best illustrated inFigure 9, the lid [2, on its top face when inverted, may be providedwith suitable means such as clips 39 to hold and retain within the lidconfines most, if not all, of th usual tools or accessories 32 which goto make up a conventional vacuum cleaner kit. Not only are the variousaccessories thus made freely available when the top is removed, but inaddition they are so disposed and held in place as to admit of completeand effective storage along with the vacuum cleaner, hose and extensioncord, when the vacuum cleaner is not in use.

To ptrmit of free rolling movement of the container ID (with the vacuumcleaner housed there- Within) along and over the floor or other surfaceto be cleaned, it is provided with one or the other of two forms ofrunning gear which may be rendered effective or ineffective at will. Inone said form of running gear the rollers or casters thereof are adaptedto be locked and released, whereas in the other said form they areadapted to be extended and retracted. In either case the end effect isthe same, i. e. the rollers, if locked or retracted, preclude freerolling movement of the assembly comprising the container l and vacuumcleaner I 4, whereas, if released or extended, free rolling movement ofsaid assembly may be achieved. 7

--The retractible and extendible type running gear is best illustratedin Figure 10. It comprises four rollers or casters 34 (ball-bearingmounted) disposed one each at or near each of the respective fourcorners of the container ID. The rollers, when retracted throughopenings 36 formed in the bottom of the container, permit the containerto bottom solidly on the floor or other surface to be cleaned, and it iswhen the container is so bottomed that it is adapted to function notonly as a hassockor stool, but also as a repository for the vacuumcleaner when stored. With therunning gear retracted free rollingmovement over and along the floor or othersurface cannot occur.

Regardless of which type running gear is used, it is desirable that thelocking and releasing thereof on the one hand, or the retraction andextension thereof on the other, be made responsive in its operation tothe opening and closing (or raising and lowering) movements of the lidl2. This I accomplish in both types of running gear by providing the lidI2 with four lugs 38 on its inner or under side, said lugs in thelowering or closing of the lid being adapted to enage and operatesuitable mechanism housed within the container and so connected to therollers or casters 34 as to cause the latter to be locked or retractedas the case may be.

The mechanism for extending and retracting the running gear preferablycomprises four separate linkage assemblies, one for each roller orcaster. Th description of but one such assembly should suffice for all.Each roller or caster 34 is suitably housed (see Figure 11) in atwopiece casing formed on the end of a bell-crank 40 so as to extendtherebeyond. The bell-crank 40 is pivoted intermediately of its ends asat 42 within the container, and is pivotally connected at its inner orupper end as at 44 to the lower end of a vertically extending rod 46.The rod 46 at its opposite or upper end is provided with a roller 48 sodisposed in relation to one of the lugs 38 as to be engaged thereby asthe lid (2 is lowered or closed.

To hold the roller 48, and hence the rod 45, in proper position, a lever50 is provided, said lever being pivoted at one end to the upper end ofthe rod 46 as at 52, pivoted intermediately of its ends as at 54 to oneend wall of the container I2, and provided at its opposite end with acounter-weight 56 having sufficient mass to cause the running gear to beautomatically extendccl should the lug 38 be withdrawn from engagementwith the roller 48; in other words, the lowering of the lid l2 willcause the lugs 38 to so move the linkage above described as toautomatically retract the running gear.

The running gear of Figures 14 to 17 inclusive may be said to operate onsubstantially the same general principle in that it is made effectiveand ineffective accordingly as the lid [2 of the container is raised orlowered. Like the running gear above described, the running gear shownin Figures 14 to 1'7 inclusive comprises rollers 58 adapted to beengaged by the lugs 38. It also includes counterweights 60 movable undertheir own weight to operate the linkage mechanism to thereby lock,rather than retract, the rollers of the running gear. I also provideconnecting rods 64 comparable to the rods 46. The rods 64 at their lowerends are pivotally connected to suitable toggle mechanism 66 havingrollers 68 engageable with opposed guideways 70. Each toggle mechanism66 at its lower end carries 0pposed brake-shoes 12 slidable toward andaway from each other to engage and disengage rollers or casters I4similar to the casters 34, except that the former, instead of beingraised or lowered, are held in fixed position with only a frac tioniofthe total area thereof extended beyond the bottom of the container In tobear on and roll along and over the surface to be cleaned when therollers 14 are freed by the withdrawal of the brake-shoes 12 fromengagement therewith.

A combination locker or hassock-housed vacuum cleaner unit such asherein contemplated is simple in design, easy to operate, and would seemto provide an item of consumer convenience having considerable aestheticas well as utilitarian appeal. The outer contour of the housing orcontainer Ill, being a matter of design rather than functional, it isobvious that same may ,be-given any shape desired so long as it 1. Incombination; a piece of household furniture having formed therein awalled-in space within which a vacuum cleaner unit is adapted to behoused both when in use as such and when not so used; a bodily removableclosure for an opening formed in a wall of said space; means on theinner face of said closure for removably holding, when not in use, oneor more vacuum cleaner accessories; a roller-equipped running gear forsaid piece of household furniture; and means acting with said runninggear to render said piece of household furniture ambulatory ornon-ambulatory as desired, said means being responsive in its operationto the removal and replacement of said closure.

2. In combination; a piece of household furniture having a walled-inspace within which a vacuum cleaner unit is adapted to be housed bothwhen in use as such and when not so used; a closure for an openingformed in a wall of said space, said closure being movable from a closedto an open position and vice versa; a rollerequipped running gear forsaid piece of household furniture likewise housed for the major partwithin said walled-in space; and means responsive in its operation tothe opening and closing movements of said closure adapted by coactingwith said running gear to render the piece of household furnitureambulatory or non-ambulatory as desired.

3. In combination; a piece of household furniture having a walled-inspace within which a vacuum cleaner unit is adapted to be housed bothwhen in use as such and when not so used; a

space, said closure being provided on its inner face with means forremovably holding, when not in use, one or more vacuum cleaneraccessories, said closure being movable from a closed to an openposition and vice versa to admit of the bodily" removal and replacementof the vacuum cleaner unit; a roller-equipped running gear for saidpiece of household furniture; and means responsive in its operation tothe opening and closing movements of said closure adapted by coactionwith said running gear to render the piece of household furnitureambulatory or nonambulatory as desired.

4. In combination; a piece of household furniture having formed thereinspace within which a vacuum cleaner unit is adapted to be housed bothwhen in use as such and when not so used; a freely removable closure foran opening formed in a wall of said space, said closure being providedon its inner face with means for holding, when not in use, one or morevacuum cleaner accessories; and a roller-equipped extensible andretractable running gear carried by said piece of household furnitureoperable to render it either ambulatory or non-ambulatory as desired,said extension and retraction of the running gear being responsiveautomatically to the opening and closing movements of said closure.

GORDON E. WEIR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 978,167 Kelsey Dec. 13, 19101,231,689 Allen July 3, 1917 1,681,624 Replogle Aug. 21, 1928 2,042,387Cobb May 26, 1936 2,177,153 Ross Oct. 24, 1939 2,319,581 Brownlee May18, 1943 2,367,437 Salt Jan. 16, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number CountryDate 22.599 Great Britain 1 1916

